Nobody’s kidding himself here: Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin was not a fight that needed to happen or forever curse the matchmakers.

The injury bug has forced us to take substitutes, and the 190-pound matchup, which headlines Saturday’s UFC 147 event, is just such a compromise.

More significant, perhaps, is the finals of the first Brazilian season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which promises to add several standouts to the UFC’s featherweight and middleweight ranks.

UFC 147 takes place at Estadio Jornalista Felipe Drumond in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The event’s main card airs live on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

If there were any fight that needed to happen, it was the coach vs. coach meeting promised at the end of “TUF: Brazil.” Silva and Vitor Belfort originally were scheduled to fight in the traditional season-ending meeting of opposing coaches. The two were not only invested in competition through the hopefuls on the show, but also determined to prove to each other a violent point. They met 14 years prior at the first UFC event held in Brazil, and Belfort knocked out Silva in short order. Silva was bent on revenge, and Belfort on protecting his legacy.

Then Belfort’s broken hand scratched both possibilities and prompted the UFC to call its longtime PPV fixer: Franklin.

Franklin (28-6 MMA, 13-5 UFC) and Silva (34-11-1 MMA, 4-6 UFC) shared a first three years prior when they fought on the debut UFC card in Germany, UFC 99. Franklin won in convincing fashion. There was no controversy. Silva was a little bit slower in striking exchanges and couldn’t, aside from the end of the fight, find Franklin’s chin. Fans moved on.

And yet the matchup offers the bare minimum of star power needed to headline a PPV fight. Silva is a star in Brazil, and Brazilians love to boo the foreigner. That many stateside fans and media pundits have questioned the value of the card is what it is, as they say.

Silva saved his job in his most recent appearance when he stopped Cung Le with a flurry of knees and punches at UFC 139. He had lost three of four in the octagon going into the fight (six of eight including the beginning of his skid in the now-defunct PRIDE). He was forced to convince UFC president Dana White to give him another shot following another bad knockout loss to Chris Leben at UFC 132. The Le win gave him a burst of momentum.

But he’s still on thin ice. After so many recent knockouts, another could spell the end for his career in the UFC. A decision loss might buy him another fight, but perhaps not against Belfort. Before the curtain rises on Saturday, he’s already lost in a way.

Franklin, meanwhile, is popular enough to headline cards and get big-time fights, but his chance of earning a title shot in either the middleweight or light-heavyweight division remains slim. As long as Anderson Silva remains at the top at 185 pounds, he’ll be hard pressed to get a third fight after two devastating losses to the dominant champ. And former titleholder Forrest Griffin outpointed him at 205 pounds to ground out his immediate hopes of working his way up that ladder.

Franklin and Silva’s first fight wasn’t heavy with relevance, and their second isn’t much different.

Still, the matchup remains an entertaining one. Silva’s trademark aggression puts fans on the edge of their seats, and Franklin never hesitates to engage his opponents. There’s no reason to think Franklin won’t still be a little bit faster and a little bit sharper in striking, where this fight is bound to spend the majority of its time. It will be a good show.

Other main-card bouts

Cezar Ferreira (4-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Sergio Moraes (6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC): One the protege of a fearsome striker, and the other a decorated grappler, this middleweight final of “TUF: Brazil” isn’t hard to break down. Ferreira has a solid guillotine choke that he’s used to catch grapplers perhaps less savvy than Moraes, but his bread and butter is the striking game, and he’s gotten a lot more free with his hands and feet since a somewhat tentative debut in the show’s elimination round. Expect to see Moraes trying to close the distance at every opportunity and dodging punches all the way. This could be a three-round cat-and-mouse game if Ferreira keeps his distance and Moraes stalls on the ground. But Ferreira has risen to the challenge on several occasions and will likely do the same on Saturday night.

Rony “Jason” Mariano Bezerra (10-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Godofredo “Pepey” de Oliveira (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC): This featherweight “TUF” final is a tough one to call. Oliveira has shown himself an aggressive submission player while keeping the pressure constant in striking. Bezerra is a measured striker who can take a fair amount of punishment on his feet. Oliveira may just use his height and reach to frustrate Bezerra in striking exchanges and control him on the ground. But it’s an uphill battle with the tough Bezerra, whose three losses don’t reveal any weakness on paper.

Fabricio Werdum (15-5-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) vs. Mike Russow (15-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC): Although both have improved light years in their striking skills, Russow brings the ace to this heavyweight matchup. His wrestling skills could trap Werdum on the canvas for 15 minutes, and he’s savvy enough to avoid the submission attempts that are bound to come. Werdum likely has been preparing to defend the takedown, so he may have a few tricks up his sleeve to damage Russow on the way in (if Russow isn’t liking what he sees in the standup game). Still, the American Russow can take one heck of a punch, as fans saw when he got beat up for nearly three rounds before knocking out Todd Duffee. Werdum’s best bet is to keep the volume high with strikes, keep Russow guessing on the feet, and make sure he’s not in the way when a takedown attempt comes.

Yuri Alcantara (27-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) vs. Hacran Dias (20-1-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC): Featherweight Alcantara brings a two-fight UFC win streak to his fight against newcomer Dias, who boasts a nearly spotless record in 22 fights. With both submission artists, this fight could be a wild scramble for dominant position, though Alcantara has the tools to keep it standing. Dias’ octagon newness is the big X-factor here. He could be a natural or a dud.

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